What is the difference between message passing and shared memory in programming?

What is the difference between message passing and shared memory in programming?

Message passing involves communication between processes through messages, while shared memory allows processes to access a common memory space.

Can you give an example of when to use message passing?

Message passing is ideal in distributed systems where processes run on different machines, ensuring data consistency.

What are the advantages of using shared memory?

Shared memory offers faster data access since processes can read and write directly to the same memory space, reducing overhead.

Are there any downsides to using message passing?

Yes, message passing can introduce latency and complexity in managing message queues and ensuring message delivery.